National pest control company Orkin announced yesterday its annual list of top bedbug cities in the U.S.

What city topped the list this year?

And, with infestations of the tiny pests making headlines throughout the summer in 2014, it may come as no surprise that the pest control company revealed that there was a nationwide increase in bedbug treatments over the last year, reporting an 18 percent increase in business.A city with reported infestations in a variety of public places including public transit vehicles, downtown office buildings, a fire station, a library, an elementary school and more. The “Windy City,” of Chicago comes in as the number one city with the most bedbug treatments performed between January and December 2014.

So what do you do if you’re concerned about pests becoming unwanted guests in your home? First, download Protect-A-Bed’s Bed Bugs 101 mobile application for tips on identifying, locating and preventing bedbugs. Additionally, consider purchasing a mattress and/or box spring encasement, which will not only prevent bedbugs from entering or escaping your bed, it will also make an inspection for the pesky critters easier and quicker.

Holidays are a time for friend and family gatherings to relish in the memories. For one woman, however, that won’t be the case this year as a result of bedbugs invading her home.

According to the Observer-Reporter.com, a 68-year-old woman won’t be able to spend the holidays with her family this year out of fear of bringing unwanted guests with her into her family’s home. She is a resident of the Washington County Housing Authority in Washington, Pennsylvania, where bedbugs have been a persistent problem for the past few months. The housing authority has been proactive in dealing with the infestation, according to Witt Pest Management of Pittsburgh, yet the pests keep returning.

Don’t let bedbugs – or the fear of spreading the critters – keep you from spending time with your loved ones this holiday season. Entomologists recommend using mattress encasements to keep bedbugs out. Consider using the Protect-A-Bed AllerZip® Smooth encasement, which is completely bedbug entry, escape and bite-proof, so you won’t have to worry about bringing uninvited guests to your next holiday festivity.

While no one wishes to wake up in the morning with bug bites, sometimes it can lead to more than just the irritating and itchy welts.

One woman who recently stayed at a motel in Odessa, Texas was diagnosed with Cellulitis after she woke up with welts, blisters and bug bites, according to NewsWest9. Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection that can be caused by bedbug bites, and now the woman is pursuing legal action against the motel.

While the motel manager told NewsWest9 that they thoroughly clean the rooms with chemicals after previous complaints of bedbugs, there are steps for protection from the pesky bugs while traveling. Be sure to follow these five tips upon arriving to the hotel, and consider ThermalStrike heated luggage to make sure you don’t bring bedbugs home with you.

Is your family planning a holiday getaway this year? Whether you’re visiting family or headed somewhere warm to escape the winter chills, be sure to protect yourself from bringing home a pesky souvenir – bedbugs.

CNBC travel contributor Harriet Baskas offers a variety of modern luggage suggestions to consider for your next adventure – including the ThermalStrike Heated Luggage. The plug-in luggage has interior infrared panels that heat up to 140 degrees, killing all life stages of bedbugs and eggs. To begin the heating process, simply lift the handle and plug the unit into a traditional wall socket. The integrated timer will shut the unit off automatically after eight hours.Additionally, when travelling, here are five tips to consider for keeping those bedbugs from biting when staying in a hotel room:

Do your homework. Read online reviews of the hotel you’re planning to book for any complaints of bedbugs from previous guests.

Before you check-in, ask the important questions including if the hotel has practices outlined to deal with infestations.

Upon arrival, give your room a thorough inspection including the bed. Begin by pulling back all linens, checking around and under the mattress and behind the headboard for any signs of bedbugs.

Check surroundings near the bed, too. Bedbugs can often be found up to 15 feet from the bed, so be sure to check in the cushions and seams of furniture and in the closet.

For complete peace of mind, use the ThermalStrike Heated Luggage to make sure you don’t bring these critters home. To find out more about the luggage, check out this YouTube tutorial for using the unit.

Have you ever had a bedbug infestation? According to various studies, it’s likely you suffered from more than just itchy bites.

The Atlantic recently published an article on the psychological effects people experience due to bedbug infestations and spoke with researchers Stéphane Perron at University of Montreal and Jerome Goddard at Mississippi State University. Both men have published a number of research papers that examine those that have suffered from an infestation.

Perron’s studies looked at apartments that were reported to the Montreal Public Health Department for unsafe conditions – some with bedbugs and some without. Through a questionnaire, he found that those with a bedbug problem were far more likely to report anxiety and sleep disturbances than those without.

Goddard conducted his study by reviewing posts on bedbug website and forums. When the posts were compared against a checklist of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, he found that 81 percent of those posting on the forums were describing psychological and emotional effects often associated with the disorder. This includes hyper-vigilance, paranoia, obsessive thoughts and depression.

In a separate study, researchers asked people in seven cities via a questionnaire to describe their reaction to bedbug bites. Of the 474 that responded, 29 percent said they suffered from insomnia, 22 percent reported emotional distress and 20 percent said they had anxiety as a result of the bugs.

If you are worried about bringing these pests into your home, try a mattress encasement from Protect-A-Bed to keep bedbugs out of your bed.

A new apartment often times signals new beginnings – new space, new furniture and new neighbors. There is one thing, however, that concerns renters when they move in to a new residence and it may not be whether the neighbors are noisy or a lack of parking options.

According to a survey from national pest control company Orkin and the National Apartment Association released this week, 39 percent of renters said bedbugs were the pest they would “least” want to see in their apartments. The fear of the pesky bugs ranked higher than rodents, cockroaches, ants and flies.

With the recent resurgence of infestations in residences and public spaces, there are precautionary steps to prevent an infestation, including:

Be aware of dangers associated with bringing home used or “found” furniture.

Ask whether your apartment building has a current bedbug policy.

Report any signs of pest activity to your landlord or management immediately.

Are you in the market for a new apartment? Take proactive steps to ensure you don’t have unwanted guests, and download Protect-A-Bed’s Bed Bugs 101 mobile app to help identify, locate and prevent bedbugs from infesting your new humble abode.

Recently, Protect-A-Bed® donated bedding products to Lake County Haven, which provides transitional shelter, housing and supportive services for homeless women and children in the Chicago area.

With approximately 75 women and children living in the shelter each year, Lake County Haven’s representatives were concerned about the prospect of bedbug infestations so they reached out to Protect-A-Bed, headquartered in their community.

“We are so grateful for this generous gift from Protect-A-Bed,” said Laura Sabino, executive director for Lake County Haven. “With so many people in and out of our program, we are thankful that we are now able to take preventative action against potential bedbug infestations for our residents.”

Protect-A-Bed donated mattress encasements and bedbug detectors, which are tools that aid in the early detection of an infestation. Mattress and box spring encasements are bedbug entry, escape and bite proof and can be very effective at sealing in any bugs that may have escaped all of the other management efforts as well as protecting the mattress and box spring from becoming re-infested. Detectors are placed under the legs of beds and will intercept bedbugs as they move around.

If you are concerned about potential bedbug infestations, try a bedbug proof mattress protector such as Protect-A-Bed’s mattress encasement.

With the influx of headlines and reports of bedbug sightings and infestations this summer, it is easy to develop a sense of paranoia or fear of the pesky little critters. In New York City alone, the New York Daily News has reported at least 21 incidents of bedbug sightings on subway trains and in crew rooms.

But could you correctly identify a bedbug if you saw one? Earlier this week, there was a scare on the Brooklyn B44 bus route when someone thought they saw a bedbug on another passenger which led customers to run off the bus in fear, according to an article from the Daily News. The bus was taken out of service to be treated by MTA’s pest-control contractor, but no bedbugs were found in the vehicle.

As employees head off to work each day, millions take trains and subways into metropolitan areas such as Chicago or New York City. But commuters should take caution: Bedbug infestations have recently been reported in both cities, including train and workplace sightings.

In addition to the infestations of the N train and the 5 train in New York City, an additional claim was made this week of a bedbug sighting on the 7 train according to Business Insider. In Chicago, a video posted to Facebook and YouTube also shows a claim of bedbugs on a seat of a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Red Line train as reported by NBC Chicago.

If you see a bedbug on public transportation, transit authorities urge you to report it with as much information as possible, including:

Car number

Approximate time of day of the sighting

Run number

You can report bedbug sightings to the customer service department of your city’s transit authority.

If you’re unsure of how to identify a bedbug, download Protect-A-Bed’s Bed Bugs 101 mobile applicationfor tips on recognizing, locating and preventing bedbugs.

If you are worried about encountering the pests and one of the bed bug hiding spots, and you want to avoid bringing them home, try Protect-A-Bed’s mattress encasement to keep the insects out of your bed.